The Norse Dragon Emperor
by stormgreywolf
Summary: Issei has had the same nightmare over and over again for five years. Then, one day, he up and disappears. Without a sign or a word, he returns but he's changed, a lot. Not just physically but mentally as well. Because now, he's a loyal dragon to Asgard. How will this tip the balance of power?
1. The Disappearance

**Alright everyone, I'm already back. As most of you should know, my story _Great Red Betrayal_ has reached its conclusion. In light of that, I've created this story to take its place. I got a lot of inspiration from fellow writers and thought long and hard about this. It's much different from the norm, I assure. And it will be longer than GRB. That, I also want to assure for you.**

 **So, I hope you do enjoy.**

 **[WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP I'M GOING TO K-KISS YOU…]**

"...Ughh. God dammit..."

The alarm clock was loud and blaring. It was designed to wake him up with a tsundere voice, but it didn't have the function to actually move him from the comfort of the sheets.

The owner, in the end, fell to the floor after having a nightmare once more.

That person was Issei Hyoudou. An average high school student with nothing really extraordinary about him.

It was the worst way to wake him up but the recurring nightmare he's had have become so real, he feels closer to death each time.

It's been the same dream, again and again. No matter how much he's tried it's never left him. It's always haunted him. And it's been getting closer and closer every day.

At first, when he was twelve, it came once every three months. But recently, since his seventeenth birthday, it became more frequent up until every night. And now, it's become more vivid, more realistic, and almost as if everything happening to him, in the dream, was happening to him in real life.

"Wake up, Ise!"

His mother's voice called from the stairs. Every morning she woke him like that. And it always reminded him that he was still alive.

"I know, I know! I'm getting up now!" He shouted through the door.

The brunette picked himself up and stretched while releasing a stiff yawn. He felt so down after waking up and didn't feel like going to school. Sadly, he had his academics to keep up with so, begrudgingly, he moved to get ready for the day.

He took a shower, threw on his uniform, and walked downstairs to the front door. There, he slipped on his school shoes and grabbed his school bag before opening the door.

"I'm off," he shouted back into the kitchen.

There was no response but he knew his parents heard him. Stifling a yawn, he left the house. But what he didn't know was that it'd be some time before he would see it again.

-XOXOXOXOX-

A private school. Kuoh Academy.

That was the school Issei attended.

It was a co-ed school as of recent, having been a girl's school a couple years ago. So, now, there were more girls than boys in a massive ratio split. As the grades went down, the number of boys increased, still leaving much more girls than boys overall.

Issei Hyoudou was a second year high school student and the ratio of girls and boys in his class was seven to three. For the third year students, it was eight to two. Just as an example.

Even now, the girls had a much stronger authority than boys. The majority of the students on the Student Council were girls, and the Student Council President was also a girl.

Kuoh Academy was a school where boys can't stand tall, but it didn't deter Issei from joining among its ranks.

It was a very simple explanation as to why as well.

The place had more girls. That alone was the only reason.

He was able to pass the entrance exam for this school, just barely, due to its rigorousness, thanks to his perverted guts. Yes, he was a pervert, a huge one at that. And he didn't care to show or say it either.

Issei's goal in all of this was to be able to study while being surrounded by the opposite gender. A shallow goal indeed.

And for that reason alone, he was currently attending the school.

What was wrong with that?

What was wrong with being a pervert!?

It was his life. He wouldn't let anyone argue against him about it too. He was going to build a harem at the school. It was his set mission when he first entered the academy.

But now, after his first year and some months, he felt very depressed. He was naïve for thinking he could make two or three girlfriends at the school where the majority of students were girls. It was still the real world after all.

Only one group of good looking guys were popular and girls didn't spare a glance at him. To be more precise, they ignored him, as if he was trash lying on the floor.

It wasn't in his plan to be unpopular. In his plan, he was supposed to get his first girlfriend right after he entered the school a year ago. After that, he would break up with her and start dating a new girl. He would then repeat so, by the time he graduated, heaps of girls would be fighting over him in a battle for his heart.

But, at this rate, his objective will end as just a dream.

What was wrong with it!? Was he in the wrong era to have such a goal? Was it the law of monogamy itself? Or was there something wrong with him...?

Issei didn't want to even think about that...

Sadly, those were the things that went through his head every single day.

-XOXOXOXOX-

The perverted brunette arrived to class and released a big sigh. He sat down in his chair without taking a single glance at anyone. Something that had aroused slight suspicions from the rest of the class.

"Hey, buddy. How was the DVD I lent you? It was some good stuff, wasn't it?"

The bald headed guy who spoke to the boy was his first best friend, Matsuda. He looked very athletic, but he was a pervert who made sexually harassing comments every day to the female student body. It was a surprise he hadn't been expelled yet. Hell, Issei should've been too.

Matsuda was a sports-boy during his time in junior high school where he broke many records, but, since his transition to high school, he's joined the Photo-Club now. He is really open about his ambition of wanting to take photos of every part of the girls' bodies through the camera lens.

And that alone earned him the nickname "Perverted Baldy" and the "Sexual Harassing Paparazzi".

"Phew...the wind sure was strong this morning. Thanks to that, I was able get a good view of the girls' panties."

The guy with the glasses, who was trying to act cool, was Issei's second best friend, Motohama. He had a special ability called "Scouter" and with it, he can tell the numerical values of the girls' measurements through his glasses. The drawback, however, it that he has a special body where his strength plummets when he takes his glasses off.

That has given him the nickname "Perverted Glasses" and the "Three-size Scouter".

These two were Issei's partners in crime. And together, they formed the Perverted Trio of Kuoh Academy.

Any other day, Issei would have been fine to see them. But today, facing them in the morning, after such a hard night, was really making him upset. He felt sick, almost like he was jabbed in the stomach. Possibly even stabbed. But there was no marks or signs of blood when he checked after his shower.

"I got some nice stuff today!" Matsuda exclaimed with a smirk. He opened his bag and tips out the things inside his bag without any hesitation.

Books and DVDs were piled up on Issei's desk, all having very suggestive titles and images on the cover.

"Kyah!"

A small scream comes from a girl far away from the trio.

Of course she would react like that. After all, something like that was happening in so early in the morning. And in the wide open at that.

"You guys are the worst!"

"Die, filthy perverts!"

Those were a few of the comments they received from the female body. But, Matsuda and Motohama didn't care. Nor Issei, but for different reasons.

"Silence! This is our entertainment! Girls and kids should look away and keep away! Or else, I will rape all of you inside my head!"

Matsuda's threat was very vulgar. Issei couldn't help but lower his head deeper into his arms. Students could notice his disdain but had yet to comment on it. It was very weird seeing him out of character. Usually, he'd be all over the porn on his desk but the brunette hadn't even taken notice of it.

Matsuda sighed while looking back at his friend's dull face.

"Hey hey hey. Why do you have a face like that when there are so many treasures right in front of you?" He asked with slight irritation.

"You haven't been in the mood lately. It's definitely weird of you Ise. You aren't the same as usual."

Motohama had added on while poking his glasses. It was in a way as if he found Issei boring.

"Whatever. I'm just not feeling good, alright?" The brunette replied with half his face buried behind his arm.

"Are you sick dude?" Matsuda asked, showing his first signs of concern.

"No, I...had the dream again."

Matsuda and Motohama's eyes widened slightly. They knew of their friends recurring nightmare and how frequent it had become. But to see that the nightmares were affecting him like it did made them question if the dream was getting worse.

"What happened?" Motohama asked.

"The same as usual," Issei replied shortly.

"You should have stayed at home," Matsuda said.

"I can't..."

""Why?"" They asked simultaneously.

Issei stayed silent for a while. He had a subconscious feeling in his head that was now starting to become more noticeable. It had been bouncing around since he left the house but was now at the forefront of his mind. The thought itself was frightful but, for some reason, Issei wasn't scared of it. He simply didn't care at that point and wanted to focus on resting. So, his next words just came out, not a single sign of hesitation or fear in his tone.

"I don't know. But, it feels like I won't be back for some time."

"What does that mean?" Motohama asked.

"...Even I don't know."

And that was the beginning of the end for the Issei Hyoudou everyone knew.

-XOXOXOXOX-

Eventually, break time rolled around and the Perverted Trio did as they always do. Or, well, Matsuda and Motohama did as they usually do and Issei laid on a mat, still feeling unwell since he woke up.

The Kendo Club members were currently getting ready for practice at their club. The three second years had snuck into the storage room next to the girls locker room. There, they moved some equipment aside and revealed a hole that allowed them to look into the changing room.

On the other side, a handful of girls could be seen taking off their shirts, skirts, socks, and other articles or clothing. Fully undressing all the way down to their bra and panties. Being oblivious to the peeping toms on the other side, they continued to do so while talking and teasing one another. And unbeknownst to them, they were giving a sexy show to two of the three perverts on the other side.

"This is the best thing ever!" Matsuda exclaimed in a whisper.

"I know. I think Katase's hips grew three inches since my last calculation," Motohama added in an equally low volume.

"Issei, you should snag yourself some whacking material before it's gone," Matsuda called back to the brunette.

"Yeah. Murayama's grown as well. I'm sure you'd like to see your crush in some daring underwear," Motohama said, trying to coax his friend to peak.

Issei didn't budge. He kept his back to them as he felt the pain in his gut. It flared up, making the boy tighten up as he clenched his stomach. He then felt his head start ringing and placed a hand to the side of it.

 _'Why does it hurt...?'_ He questioned.

 _ **'It ends with death.'**_

That voice. It was the voice from Issei's dream. It never said something like that in the dream, so why now? What did it mean by that?

"Issei, are you listening!?" Motohama shouted.

"What was that?"

"It sounded like it came from the storage room next door."

"It's those perverts! Let's get 'em!"

The shouts of the kendo girls made Matsuda and Motohama's blood freeze and they stiffened from the war cry next door.

They scrambled themselves up and shot to the door faster than imaginable. The duo left the room without even looking back, or checking if Issei followed. They just ran for their lives, hoping that they could get away in time.

The kendo club was the next to open the door to the storage room. They had their shinai in hand, ready to beat the perverts into puddles of blood and bruises. But, when they opened the door, all they saw was Issei resting against the wall with his head lowered.

While the girls were pissed it wasn't all three of them, having at least one to take their anger out on was enough. So, they slowly surrounded him, each with their swords ready to bruise and batter. With their anger boiling, they failed to realize that Issei wasn't the one to peak. In fact, if they looked closely, they would notice he made no attempts to run, hide the hole the duo used earlier, or even try explaining the misunderstanding. But, the girls anger left them blind and the brunette was sure that he wouldn't be walking straight for the next couple of days.

Just as the beating was about to start, Issei simply closed his eyes in acceptance. Maybe this was what the voice meant by death. But Issei was too tired and under the weather to really fight back. His condition had become noticeably worse, something noted by one of the girls.

"Wait!" She suddenly shouted. This made the girls stop their first swings midway and turn to the girl. Issei, who was very surprised by the shout, decided to look up at the person who delayed his misplaced punishment.

The brunette's eyes widened when he saw Murayama standing before him. Her back was to him and her arms were spread in a protective manner.

"Murayama, what are you doing?" A girl with short pink hair asked. She was Katase.

The one standing above Issei was a busty brunette, who had her hair tied in a ponytail. She was the one Issei had a huge crush on, all the way back to their first year in junior high. She was one of the main reasons he started peeping.

"Look at him. He looks horrible. I don't think he was the one peeping," Murayama explained with a firm look.

"But he's in here. He had to have been." Katase then noticed the hole that connected to the locker room. "Look! There's even proof right there!"

The female brunette didn't even flinch. "He would have ran then. He was most likely dragged here by his friends who, surprisingly, aren't here as well."

"It could be a trick though..." Katase said with less fire. The other girls also seemed to have cooled their earlier anger.

"If it is, then I'll take responsibility. Just go back and start stretching, I'll be there soon," Murayama ordered.

There was no response after that. Still upset, but obidient, the group left the room until the two brunette's were all that was left. There was silence between them until the door shut, into which Murayama turned to face Issei.

"You're lucky, you know that?" She said with folded arms.

"Yeah..." He muttered.

"Ise, why do you continue to hang out with them?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"You weren't like this in junior high," Murayama argued back.

"Neither were Matsuda and Motohama. So why are you saying it to me?" He asked, raising his head to look at her.

"Because I actually care for you." There was no hesitation there.

Issei's cheeks flared up red but he lowered his head to avoid it being caught. He'd rather just leave things at that instead of possibly being made fun of by his own love interest.

Murayama took the brunette's lack of response as acceptance. She still felt worried for him but could only do so much with their relationship only being at the acquaintance level.

"Listen, if you ever need anything just talk to me, okay?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"..." There was no response. Murayama could only hope at this point. So, she stood and left, leaving her fellow brunette to mull over her words.

-XOXOXOXOX-

The rest of the day passed by very slowly for Issei. He still felt depressed, he made a fool of himself in front of his crush, and Matsuda and Motohama were nowhere to be found. So, to chock it all up, he had the worst day of his entire life. And it was only going to get worse as he awaited the nightmare that would come again later on tonight.

With no enthusiasm or energy left, Issei just sat at his desk. He looked out the window to see the sun setting behind the buildings of downtown. He wondered how he let the day go but could only dread the little time he had left before he decided to go home.

The brunette scratched the back of his head with both hands as he stared at the top of his desk. What could he do? He swore at this point that the dream would become so vivid this time that the line between reality and fantasy would start to blur. It hurt to think about it and now, that pain might become physical. What was left for him to do? No one really seemed to care about it, no matter how it affected him. A curse from all the bad things he's done, possibly.

 _ ***FFSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH***_

And it looked like things were gonna get worse for him.

The sound of slight movement caught the boy's attention. Once he turned, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. He shot up from his desk and turned to face whatever had come to horrify him.

"Y-You..!" He said in shock, pointing at the thing that had come in.

Somehow, a large caninish-beast had entered into the school and now stood before him on the other side of the class. It's back nearly touched the ceiling and it's paws looked like it could crush a desk with ease, sharp claws at end. It's fur was snow white with a few strands tipped in black to create a multitude of spots across half of its body. One eye shined gold while the other glowed a neon green. It's fangs looked sharp enough to rip and the saliva dripping from its maw covered the floor in a gooey substance.

 ** _'I've come for you, Issei Hyoudou,'_** the beast said inside the brunette's mind. It horrified him but the boy was still frozen and couldn't move.

The beast glided across the classroom, it's eyes glued on the boy's. No desks were knocked over and the beast looked careful not to make a mess of anything. Besides the saliva, the monster kept everything relatively clean as it approached Issei, who stayed unmoving.

"W-Why are you here...?" Issei choked out, having found his voice.

 _ **'For you, of course,'**_ the beast answered telepathically.

"But why me?" Issei asked suddenly.

The beast stopped before him and settled for just staring at him. Issei still couldn't move and the headache he felt earlier returned full force the longer he looked into the heterochromatic eyes of the spotted monster.

 _ **'...That is not for me to reveal,'** _ the beast finally answered.

"Then...who is it?"

A dark portal appeared under the beast and Issei's feet. The brunette felt the air start to shift around him but his eyes were stuck to the beast's. There was nothing he could do and, at this point, who could hear his cries for help?

 _ **'I shall take you there. Then you'll receive the answers you need,'**_ the beast said as its paws disappeared into the ground.

The brunette hesitated for a second. He'd finally get the answer to the dream that had been haunting him for the past five years?

Was it a trick or the truth? Could he even trust the beast, despite its lack of fact in the first place. It hasn't taken any attempt to kill him? That was always a plus.

And did he really have a choice against it? After all, he was buried waist down into the floor already, so it's not like he could stop things from happening at this point. Man, he really was calmer than usual.

In the end, Issei decided to accept his fate. Wherever the monster took him, he would have to follow. But one thing was for sure, his nightmare had come real.

Matsuda.

Motohama.

His mother.

His father.

...And Murayama...

Sadly, he wouldn't be able to see them again, that much he knew. In fact, it was almost as if he knew the entire situation was going to happen. All just subconscious thoughts that were now being pushed to the forefront of his mind.

Maybe that's why he wasn't as scared as he should be.

As thoughts continued to jump through Issei's mind, he and the beast disappeared completely into the floor. It was also at this time that a swarm of students entered the room, urgency seen by their facial expressions and rapid panting. But the portal had disappeared before anyone could do anything to stop it.

"Dammit, we were too late!" One of the students shouted.

"The barrier is gone. Along with Issei Hyoudou." Another student had added.

"What do we do now Buchou?" A third asked.

"What can we do? We have the faintest of idea as to where they went," the first student answered.

"This is very troublesome indeed," the second one muttered.

"Kaichou, can we do anything?" A fourth said in question.

"...There is nothing we can do, so we must clean up this mess and move on."

 _[Hai!]_ A good number of the group said.

"Rias?" The second student called. But by then, the first remaining said nothing and left the scene silently.

The second student watched them go before turning to another student on her right. "Tsubaki, make a report about this. You know how to do it."

"Yes ma'am, Kaichou," the new student said before hurrying off to complete the task.

Kaichou merely stayed and watched as the remaining group started to clean the thick saliva of the beast. Whatever it was, it was something she had never seen before. And for it to come for one of her students was unacceptable. She would berate herself, and her underclassmen later. But for now, she had to keep things under wraps about what she witnessed today. Everyone who came also knew of the protocol, just as much as she did.

Issei Hyoudou would now be considered missing.

-XOXOXOXOX-

When Issei Hyoudou didn't show up to school the next day, most of the class thought little of it. Many were glad to have one day away from the pervert, despite his lack of action from the day before.

The Perverted Trio was reduced to a duo for a day and the girls of the academy, mainly the kendo club, was able to brutalize the ones peeping on them yesterday. Matsuda and Motohama shrugged off their friends absence, believing it to be him taking their word and resting.

When Issei Hyoudou didn't show up to school the following day, the students of Kuoh Academy couldn't believe the ultimate pervert was still gone. Matsuda and Motohama, meanwhile, had begun to experience the first signs of worry when he wasn't in class again.

When Issei Hyoudou didn't show up for a week the atmosphere of gratitude disappeared and was replaced with one of concern.

After all, they had all walked by the missing posters that had been put up by the brunette's parents after the first few days of his absence. Nearly every student had recognized the face of the person on them due to constantly battering it when they caught him peeping.

"Well... at least none of the Perverted Trio have made an attempt to spy on us," a girl said to try and lighten the mood.

She was quickly met with several looks of anger and regret. The girls of the school may have hated Issei's guts for his lecherous antics, but that didn't mean they wished genuine, lasting harm upon him.

Matsuda and Motohama, on the other hand, had completely cut their perverted hijinks, focusing on trying to find their friend each and every night. They called Issei's phone number hundreds of times, not ever receiving anything but a voice mail. Calling his house achieved the same result. Going there themselves proved equally fruitless, as no one would answer the door, not even his parents. So, they spent the night looking through the streets and asking around, trying to find their fellow pervert. And by the time they came to school the next day, they were too tired to even spare a glance at anyone.

What had happened to the brunette who had no shame?

-XOXOXOXOX-

A month had passed since Issei's disappearance. The school gave up on waiting for him and he was presumed dead. No one wanted to believe that as no one wanted such a fate to fall on the perverted boy. But, as time had passed, their hope for his return grew smaller and smaller.

Rias, one of the third years, was one of the last few to have hope. Issei Hyoudou was a guy she kept her eyes on and to see his disappearance affected her. She continued to wait, hoping that whatever took him returned. But the likely hood of that was minimum and her hope diminished.

As a club leader, however, she still had a peerage to run, clients to work with, classes to attend, and the omnipresent problem of a marriage to try and break off.

It was a Monday morning, just before the first class of the day. She was speaking to her fellow devil, the Student Council President, about matters upon a few upcoming dates. Both were prestigious heirs to their family and the town of Kuoh was known as their territory.

As they talked of a few important decisions, a blonde male ran in. He was a servant under Rias and was the popular guy of the second year.

"Kiba!" Rias said with surprise. "Why are you in such a rush?"

Her Knight didn't even bother to stop moving before he started speaking. "It's him! He's back!" He said excitedly

"Who?" Sona asked with the least bit of emotion.

"Issei Hyoudou!"

Both heirs eyes widened and the sudden life that flew over the courtyard flooded their senses. It was as if balance was being renewed upon the grounds as they could hear the students shouts of excitement from the window.

It was true. The boy, Issei Hyoudou, had returned.

 **And that's a wrap. Hopefully this was good and, as all know, I update the second chapter as soon as possible. So, go nuts.**

 **Now, this will be a single pairing as GRB and I'm sure you all can guess who. I haven't seen many stories where she gets her own spotlight, so I'll be doing it. Hope you all don't mind.**

 **I'd love to hear feedback, so do post it down below.**

 **Oh, and Issei will not despise devils but he also won't befriend them. He'll be neutral, unless provoked. So do watch out for that.**

 **Cheers.**

 _ **-stormgreywolf**_


	2. The Return

**Alright, I'm back with the next chapter. First one got great reviews and I'm very happy about that. So, enjoy this next one.**

The silence that filled the school yard was mixed with shock and disbelief. Just as everyone had given up hope and finally started to accept the facts, they were proven wrong. Some felt played with while others didn't know what to feel about the surprise early in the morning. They just stood there, quiet, watching as the second year made his return to the academy.

Issei Hyoudou walked onto campus with every students eye on him. His physique had changed as he was visibly buffer than the school last remembered. His uniform strained against his larger mass but luckily didn't rip. His face was also thinner, sharpening his features and giving him a much more mature look. It left the students in wonder of how he had changed. But it also left the question if his change was only physical.

With his bag slung over his shoulder, Issei continued to walk through the large crowd gathered around him. He didn't spare a glance towards any of the students, keeping his eyes forward with no signs of an emotion. The original silence turned into small chatter and the boy could hear as they gossiped about him.

"Dude, what the hell happened to Hyoudou?" One of the male students asked.

"I wonder where he's been all this time," another said aloud.

"Doesn't he look a bit more mature," a female student noted.

"Yeah. It actually makes him look so much hotter," the female student's friend replied.

Issei chose to pay them little mind and settled for getting to class before the first bell rang. He knew he would have a lot of work to catch up on so it was better to get to class and see his friends before he received the heavy workload. It was the least he can do as he could only hope they actually worried about his sudden disappearance.

It was lucky for the brunette that the hallways cleared as he made his way through. With his return shocking all of the students, it allowed him easy access through the building and a straight path to his homeroom. Everyone moved aside to catch a glimpse at him but he was a man on a mission and wouldn't waste time paying them any attention.

Once he arrived at the door, he slid it back and stepped inside. Instinctively, a few students turned to see who it was and their eyes widened when they saw the familiar face. Two of those students happened to be Matsuda and Motohama and their hearts nearly skipped a beat as they shot from their seats. They finally understood the reference of feeling like they had seen a ghost.

""I-Issei!?"" They said simultaneously.

Their shouts were very loud and they alerted the rest of the classroom to the brunette's return. Eyes widened and mouths dropped as everyone's attention focused on their fellow second year who returned after disappearing over a month ago.

"Hey guys, I'm back," Issei replied with a soft smile and light wave.

Matsuda and Motohama rushed to their friend and tackled him with a huge amount of force. The affection was very surprising to the brunette but he welcomed it nonetheless.

"You fucking idiot! Where have you been!?" Motohama asked, being the first to stand.

"Yeah man, spill the beans," Matsuda added as he stood up next.

They helped Issei up and the boy dusted himself off. He then looked around the room and could see that everyone was curious as to his disappearance. There were very few students but some were people he could say he acquaintanced himself with.

There was Murayama and Katase, the last two he saw that fateful day. Then there was Aika Kiryuu, the most perverted girl of Kuoh Academy, if not all of Japan. And then there were a few others who Issei hadn't been able to speak with or had been unable to remember their name. But, having the three females along with his best friends was more than enough to fill him with a sense of relief, knowing all of them had been somewhat worried about him. Even if the girls weren't as attached to him like Matsuda and Motohama.

The brunette wanted to smile at the thought but withheld his emotions, seeing as the situation wasn't right for them. He could see no one was in the playful and were very curious to his vanishing. The room had become dead serious so, he decided he would be as well.

He cleared his throat before closing his eyes.

"I..." He hesitated just a bit, to which the class noted. "I was taken away."

"What do you mean? You were kidnapped!?" Motohama tried to clarify.

Issei nodded and the class gasped. "I was taken away while I was at my weakest that day. I passed out moments before it happened and found myself lost within Europe by the time I woke up. I had no way to contact anyone and I couldn't understand the language the people spoke. They placed me under constant surveillance at a weird facility/mansion type of place and I was locked away for three weeks straight."

"Who took you away, Issei?" Matsuda asked, feeling his gut wrench from his best friends tale. The entire classroom could feel the temperature drop as the brunette explained what happened to him. The story was actually pretty scary and it sent a shiver up their spines.

"It was a weird cult who worshipped demons and mythical creatures of Hell. They were inside of Japan and happened to 'stumble' upon me, a young teenager who couldn't defend himself at the time," he continued to explain, using his fingers to make air quotes.

"It's weird how such coincidences can even happen," Kiryuu stated. Even she wasn't joking around as the dark atmosphere was easy to read and attach on to.

"Hah, you would think that, wouldn't you? They fed me pills that made me start to hallucinate. I began having visions very similar to nightmares I've been having since I was twelve." This made Matsuda and Motohama jump as they were the only ones who knew of Issei's dream.

"Does that mean they were the ones who-"

"I don't know," the brunette quickly answered. "What I do know is that they were actually targeting me for some reason. For some purpose. And that they had a task they wanted me to do. They would've taken every opportunity to as well..."

"Well...what happened?" Murayama asked. Issei turned to her but she averted her eyes before he could make complete eye contact.

"Some sort of miracle, or a possible curse. This...strange man appeared and opened my cell before disappearing. When I walked out, I could see that the cult members had all been poisoned." The classroom gasped louder than before. "It turned out they were close to being discovered. So, in a religious act, mixed with ignorance, they performed some type of final ritual before they killed themselves." The brunette closed his eyes as he finished and released a deep, heavy breath.

"The last week I was hospitalized and checked for physical and mental damage." His final words left the class to pause and they sat there in silence.

The words meshed in their head and they could almost visualize every aspect of it. None of them could help but feel bad for their fellow classmate as he lived under such conditions for a month. None of them could fathom such a time and it led them to respect the boy a little more.

"So Issei, how'd you get jacked if you were locked up for so long?" Matsuda asked, voicing a question the students had subconsciously withheld.

The fellow second year grinned as he folded his arms. They could hear the slight sound of fabric stretching but said nothing on it.

"Well, the pills made me hallucinate but they had a weird side effect. Certain chemicals within the pills triggered my body into a state of afterburn," he began to explain. While the few athletes could understand, Issei had to clarify for the others. "In other words, my body reacted by starting to rapidly burn my natural fats. The pills also had whey and casein which enhanced the production of potential energy in my body. So, with the extra boost in body functions, I trained and was able to quickly form myself into this."

The class was in shock. The numbers had grown slightly since the very beginning of Issei's story but the atmosphere had stayed the same. Students were still in awe and even more had gained respect and sympathy for Issei after hearing the explanation. But it didn't last long as the brunette eased their worries after explaining how he was fine.

Eventually, the teacher arrived and the class had to begin. Once the professor noticed the brunette, he reacted very similar to every student in the school. But, a drop mouth and wide eyes reaction later and class resumed as it always had.

-XOXOXOXOX-

Lunch had rolled around and the teacher dismissed everyone before leaving the room. Very few had left along with him and the ones who stayed kept their eyes on Issei. He seemed unaffected by their stares but they couldn't get over the feeling of how different he looked.

But it wasn't just that. He also participated in class and answered questions a few of them had difficulties with. They had to ask themselves if they ever noticed how smart he was or if he was hiding it behind all of his perverseness.

As the brunette stood from his seat to head out, he was met by his two best friends. Both of them looked excited and Issei had a good feeling as to why.

"Hey Ise, since you're back, you think we can go back to the way things were?" Motohama asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah dude, we gave up our daily dose of ass and boobs for you so we gotta make up lost time," Matsuda added with a thumbs up.

Issei didn't react in any way as he pulled out a bento from his bag. While insignificant to some, those who knew Issei personally were shocked to see him with the lunchbox.

"I-Issei, what is that!?" Motohama asked.

The brunette looked at it before his friends, back to it, and up to his friends again.

"It's a bento," he answered as if it was the most obvious thing.

"Yeah, we know that. But why do _you_ have one?" Matsuda asked with a slight eyebrow twitch.

"Ah, that's what you mean. A friend of mine made it for me," Issei replied.

"A friend...? Who else besides us can stand to be by you?" Motohama chided.

"Well, her name is-"

""HER!?"" The two perverts snapped. Issei sighed and rubbed the side of his head.

"Yes, her. As in a girl," he answered.

"Y-You have a g-g-girl making you lunch!?" Matsuda all but shouted.

"I wouldn't say I'm forcing her to. She just found the time to this morning and I couldn't say no," the brunette answered honestly. A light smile had almost broke through his mask but he held it just a bit longer.

Matsuda and Motohama were both in shock. Their mouths were left wide open and their eyes looked ready to pop. It seemed their brains had malfunctioned, to which Issei decided to take advantage and leave the classroom before they snapped out of it.

Unbeknownst to him, however, two students listened in on his conversation. While one didn't care much for it, the other couldn't help the pinge of pain in their chest. Hearing of a woman making lunch for Issei left them feeling a little hollow, especially since the girl was on a close basis with Issei to be able to _make_ him a lunch. No one had the gaul to do such a thing, so it left a question of who the woman was.

Buy Murayama was also left to wonder what happened to Issei. More so mentally and emotionally.

-XOXOXOXOX-

After the school day ended, Issei found himself alone in the classroom once more. He had decided to visit the faculty room and recover the month of work he missed, which was a large stack. While surprised at the large stack, he made a promise to himself that he'd finish it all. Now, somehow, he found himself back in class, looking out the window.

 _ **[Your story was very farfetched earlier.]** _ A voice spoke up. Issei didn't look surprised by it's abruptness but, rather, expected the statement.

"I know. But it was the best I could come up with to explain my mental change of mind, Ddraig," the brunette replied, naming the mysterious voice.

 _ **[You could've done the cliche line of "self-discovery"...]**_

"Yeah, but it's as you said. Cliche. Sounds like something out of an anime."

 _ **[Oh, and what you said is more realistic.]**_

"It could happen..." The boy muttered.

Ddraig simply sighed. _**[And the pills?]**_

"That's actually true. Lady Hel gave me some pills to help sustain your full power, and this was the result of it." Issei rose his hand and a glowing green circle appeared. There was a pause of silence, one which a pin drop could resonate through.

 _ **[...Yes. She was very naive to try and push everything onto you at once. Even now, you're still unstable and weak.]** _ He stated.

"I understand that but that also leaves room for improvement, right?" Issei asked, a grin seeping onto his face.

 _ **[Indeed it does.]**_

Silence filled the room once more. The brunette watched as students now trickled out of the gate in low numbers, each going their separate ways home. He then watched as the sun grew close to the treetops and the sky turned an orangish-yellow from its bright glow.

 _ **[What is wrong, partner?]**_ Ddraig asked.

"Nothing. It's just...been some time since I've seen this place," Issei replied.

 _ **[Hmph, it's only been a month. They fly by in the blink of an eye.]** _ The dragon said.

"Yeah yeah, but you're a dragon sealed inside of me. We humans don't live as long as you," Issei replied with a roll of his eyes.

 _ **[But you're no longer human, are you?]** _ The dragon said, hinting at something. The boy merely chuckled back as he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Maybe not physically but I'd like to think I'm still human mentally," he stated as he made his way to the door. "The memories I made as a human and the things I've done, those are what formed me into what I am today. And all the decisions I made up until now were as humane as possible."

 _ **[It's that kind of stuff that confuses me about your former race.]**_

Issei arched a brow. "How so?"

 _ **[I don't know why your former kind clinges to little things like that. It's those kinds of things that hold you back and restrict you.]** _ Ddraig explained with obvious confusion. It only made Issei chuckle as he walked down the empty halls.

"While that may be somewhat true it also strengthens us in many ways. I'm pretty sure you have similar memories when you weren't sealed," the brunette chided back. The dragon only snorted in response before ending the link between them. Issei couldn't help the smirk on his face.

-XOXOXOXOX-

Issei eventually made it home and, while he missed his parents, hadn't gone rushing in to greet them. No, he opted instead for standing outside momentarily and thinking over his next course of action. He had his story that he told the students at school but that was only because he knew they could take no action against it, nor had most of them wanted to. But his parents were a different story. Who knows how they'd react if he told them what the school was starting to learn.

So, instead, he chose to alter their memories of his disappearance. He felt wrong for doing so but, knowing his parents, they'd take the situation to the extreme and he'd rather avoid that. In the end, he changed it to make them think he was visiting relatives in Norway. Now, while they had no such relatives from the country, it wasn't a complete fabrication if and when a certain old geezer came by one day looking for him. It also made the job easier when Issei had to return to the country every now and then for certain purposes.

When he walked in, he was glad his parents were happy to see him home. It was also good that they were mellow unlike the many students at Kuoh Academy but he rather not alter all of their memories too. So he just spread the kidnapping story instead. It was also for a little fun as well, a little sadistical trait he picked up from Loki.

But, with his parents out of the way, it allowed him to go through the remainder of the day without a hitch and be in his room, starting on his late assignments very early. And while the stack had diminished greatly, he knew he had a lot to do before he would be fully caught up. But he didn't mind it as he had nothing better to do for quite some time.

 _ ***Ring Ring Ring***_

Issei heard the unique ringtone from his phone and reached over to pick it up. Already knowing the person behind the call, the brunette swiped the green phone across the screen and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

 _"Ise! You picked up!"_ An excited feminine voice responded from the other side of the line.

"Rose, I'm glad to hear from you," Issei replied as a smile appeared on his face.

 _"I'm glad that you're glad. I was calling to ask how things have gone since returning home,"_ the girl said with curiosity.

"So far so good. I have a lot of homework to catch up on but I should finish it if I work hard for the next couple of days," the brunette replied.

 _"Well, you better hop to it then. I expect it to be done before I get there,"_ she said with a slight threatening tone at the end. It made Issei shiver in fear and he felt a drop of sweat trickle down the side of his face.

"Y-Yes ma'am," he replied instinctively. One thing was for sure, he didn't want the woman's wrath brought upon him.

 _"Good, and I hope you've done as Lord Odin asked?"_

"Yes, my parents shall be expecting both of you next week," Issei answered with a nod.

 _"Great. Well, I'll see you then."_ The woman went to remove the phone and hang up but...

"Wait Rose," the brunette said quickly.

 _"Yes, what is it?"_ She asked, moving it back to her ear.

"E-Eto, well, I'd like it if you'd call me every now and then. And send me more of your lunches. Today's was fantastic," he said with a light blush.

There was a short pause of silence before he heard giggling from the other side of the line. _"Sure Ise._ "

He smiled at that but couldn't shake the nervousness he still had. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he controlled himself before speaking.

"Thanks Rose. I'll call you if I need anything," he said softly.

 _"I wouldn't doubt it. See you soon Issei,"_ she replied.

"Yeah. See you soon," he said before hanging up his phone.

The brunette sat back in his seat, taking in the phone call for a moment. He found himself lucky to have met Rose, as she had been a great help to him during his month in Europe. And while she was a little crazy, it was a good thing, and he still appreciated all she did. Even if they were a bit overboard sometimes.

As Issei could feel himself reminiscing, he soon remembered the stack of papers sitting in front of him. He quickly shot up and began to write at a quick pace, his pencil racing across the page. He would not get distracted and be forced to face Rose's punishment.

It would be so much easier to die instead.

-XOXOXOXOX-

The next day, Issei found himself sitting in class and taking notes during third period. The school wasn't as livid to his return as yesterday but the students had become much more talkative of him since then. Especially since his story had spread around like wildfire and was now surfacing in the third and first years halls as well. Basically, everyone now knew of his fable and, as a plus, that also aroused the students Issei hoped would hear about him.

 _ ***Slide***_

The sound of the door shifting sounded through the room and everyone turned to it. Who they saw was a young woman with square rimmed glasses, long hair, and a buxom body step in. She was Tsubaki Shinra, the Student Council Vice President.

"Excuse me, is Issei Hyoudou here?" She asked into the room.

Immediately, everyone's eyes shot to the brunette. He stood and turned to face the girl.

"I'm Issei Hyoudou," he answered. She nodded her head in return.

"You are to come with me. Our president would like to speak with you," she stated, stepping from the door. Issei nodded his head without hesitation and made his way to the door. It was to be expected that they'd call on him soon.

Tsubaki led him through the halls, the brunette close behind. With classes currently in session, there was no one in the halls, leaving it silent. The soft clicks of the duos shoes echoed about as neither spoke to one another. However, it didn't stop Issei from admiring the beauty of the woman in front of him. He could see she was well trained from the muscles she possessed but still possessed the mature beauty as his senpai should.

He wasn't his same old perverted self but noting this was key if the meeting didn't go so well with the Student Council President and things turned a little violent. He didn't want something like that to happen but he was prepared if it somehow came about. But he knew the president was reasonable so it was a last course of action.

When they arrived at the office, Tsubaki opened the door for the brunette. He nodded with thanks before walking inside and closing the door behind him.

"Issei Hyoudou, I assume this is the first we've met?" Someone said from across the room. The boy turned and was met with another woman. She, unlike Tsubaki, was shorter than him with shorter hair and circle rimmed glasses. This was Souna Shitori, the Student Council President.

"I would say so, Kaichou," Issei replied as he stepped further inside. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I'd like to talk with you for a bit. I'd also like to ask a few questions," she said, gesturing to a free seat in front of the brunette.

"I don't have a problem with that," he replied nonchalantly before taking a seat. "But would you mind answering a question of mine after you've finished yours?"

This made Souna arch a brow. Issei showed no signs of emotion, limiting the girl on getting a good read of him. But, if it was only one question, there wasn't much harm he could do.

"If that's all you require, I shall agree," she stated.

"Then please, ask away," he responded as he leaned back into the chair.

"I won't beat around the bush then. What happened to you a month prior?" She asked, leaning onto her desk.

"I'm pretty sure you, as Student Council President, have heard the story Kaichou," Issei replied.

"Yes, I have. But I'd like to hear it from you personally," she said, staying on beat with him. He expected nothing less from his upperclassman.

The brunette gave the president a quick run down of the story he told his classmates. Souna listened to every word, not interrupting or showing any signs of response at all. As Issei ran through the cult and the pills, she took mental notes of both, saving them for later evaluation. If what he said was true, she would have to keep a close watch on him. But, for now, she stayed respectful to the him up to the end of his story before finally voicing any thoughts she possessed.

"Would you like to know anything else Kaichou?" He asked, having finished telling his tale.

"As a matter of fact, one question to come to mind is how you returned to Japan," she said almost as soon as he finished asking.

"Ah, now that is something I cannot answer. It is a personal secret," the brunette replied just as fast, smirking for the first time. It was the first sign of emotion to the third year, one she saved. "Anything else?"

"The man who saved you. You know nothing of him? No religion or weird actions he may have done before leaving?" She asked carefully.

"None that I can remember."

"That is fine. My last question would be how you feel," Souna said, leaning forward a bit more.

"How I feel?" Issei repeated.

"Yes. You said the pills made you hallucinate, so I'm curious to know of your current health and if you are a threat to your fellow students. As well as anything you may have seen during the hallucinations," she clarified whilst adjusting her glasses.

"I assure you, Kaichou, the hallucinations have disappeared. It's hard to explain what I saw exactly but I am fine for now and am in no way a threat to the other students," he answered smoothly. Souna took a moment to evaluate him, looking him up and down before she finally nodded her head.

"I shall take your word then. Now, what is it that you want to ask of me?" She then questioned. This made Issei smirk but he barely hid it as a slight curve of his lip.

"It isn't really a question but more of a request," he stated as he stood from his seat.

"If it is within my power, I shall do my best to fulfill it. You've answered all of my questions so it is only fair," she answered without hesitation.

"Thank you Kaichou. It's nothing too taxing but I'd like to meet with the Student Council and Occult Research Club after school today. If it's not too much trouble," he asked with a light bow. Souna was curious as to why he'd request her and Rias's clubs to meet together but would leave it alone for now. She knew of her and her friends popularity and could only assume he wanted to ask both of them something at the time. There was no harm it that.

"I'll see what I can do. After school, report to the old school building and we'll discuss things further," she replied.

Issei nodded before bowing to her once again. "Thank you Kaichou. I'll be returning to class then."

With that, he opened the door and left. Tsubaki was waiting patiently outside and once he was done she went in behind him and closed the door. With no one left in the hallway, Issei stretched before starting his journey back to class.

"Hey Ddraig, you got all that?" He asked, looking down on his hand.

 _ **[I did.]**_

"And?"

 _ **[She was prodding you to see if you had any knowledge of the supernatural.]**_ The dragon answered.

"I thought so. How should we take our next steps?" He asked his partner.

 _ **[Carefully. She's still suspicious of you so it's best to keep your guard up.]**_

"I see. Well, this will make things interesting," the brunette said optimistically.

 _ **[That may be so but I'd still advise caution. Especially when you confront the Gremory girl. They'll be analyzing you throughout the entire meeting.]** _ Ddraig warned.

"I expect them to do so. Cause I'll be doing the same."

 **Alright, that wraps things up. Issei is going to confront the devils. As I've said, he'll be playing a neutral role and I do mean that. In no way shape or form do I want him interfering in devil affairs unless it's affecting him personally or the Norse faction. Only then will he work with them but I want him staying in between all of this. This includes future Rating Games and even the upcoming Raiser arc. So, that'll be fun to write.**

 **As for a few reviews. In response to another story _The Jack of Hearts_ by _ablackenedrose._ His story gave me a few key components, I admit. So, I shall give him the proper credit as of now and apologize to those I've irritated by doing so. But it was only to connect the pieces in the first chapter with Issei's disappearance. From now on, this is all me and I'm going off myself from here on. **

**I will say, his story interests me as well as mine does his. I've read a lot of angel Issei stories but his has caught my eye and I'd like to stick with it.**

 **Now, for the pairing. I've seen Murayama and Rossweisse surface, which is correct. But I'm going to toy with you guys for sometime on whom he chooses. So do bear for a little pain in the romance section as I'll be playing with it every now and then.**

 **Until then guys. I'll catch you in the next one.**

 _ **-stormgreywolf**_


	3. Confrontation

Issei found himself in, what many would consider, the best place to be. He found himself thinking it was a minefield as he had set took himself deep into uncharted territory. It was something he was hoping to avoid but, seeing how they acted with him, was better just to confront them now.

Seeing as their species were prideful and arrogant, it was obvious they would face him soon enough. They would try to, either, incorporate him to their cause or try to threaten him into submitting to them. Loki warned him they would attempt either and so far, the intimidating route seemed to be what they were taking.

Everyone around him was a devil. Reincarnated or Pure-blooded, each followed the guidelines of the Underworld, and expelled demonic energy. That was a huge disadvantage for him seeing as he was anything but that of the corrupted species.

Whether they were enemies or allies, he knew nothing of their intentions. But, from what he was told by Rose and Odin, their connection was neutral. This meant he had a chance at stabilizing that fact, as long as the meeting went smoothly.

It was his request for it so he had to be on his best behavior. Even an idiot like him could understand that much. All of the gods he spoke with made sure of that too.

Still, the number of devils was a bit surprising, seeing as there were much more than he imagined. Of course, he should have known through the talks of the Evil Piece System with Hel, Frigg, and Rose.

"Issei Hyoudou, it's quite a surprise to see you," the princess of Kuoh said.

Rias Gremory was an idol to the entire school. Everyone either wanted to be with her or be her. And very few came close in terms of beauty.

The only others were Akeno, for her sexy charm. Sona, for her strict attitude that excited the masochists of the school. And Tsubaki, who was the kind, sexy Vice President. Besides them, the girls of the school had a long way to go. If they could ever reach there.

Issei could appreciate their beauty. What straight man wouldn't?

And their breast weren't too bad either...

 _ **[** **Partner...]**_

 _'!'_

"Why say that, Rias-senpai?" Issei asked, cocking his head to the side with a forced chuckle. He hoped he wasn't caught staring.

The redhead leaned onto her desk, her breasts jiggling with physics that seemed impossible. Issei's eyes dipped for a split second before moving back up to meet the blue-greens of Rias.

The ghostly sound of a whip pierced Issei's ear and the boy tensed. No one had anything in their hands that could make such a sound but it still echoed in his mind. It reminded the brunette of his 'special' training from Frigg, teaching him of the consequences to his perversion.

 _ ***Shiver***_

"Are you alright, Hyoudou-san? You look pale," Tsubaki noted, showing signs of concern.

"I'm fine, just got a small chill. It's nothing to worry about," he replied with a half-hearted laugh.

"I see," the [Queen] of Sitri replied. She sat back in her seat and said nothing more, settling for the continuation of her observation.

"Ara ara, if you'd like, I'd be happy to take care for you Issei-kun, ufufufu." Akeno licked her lips with a sultry gaze. Issei had to keep his eyes on hers, otherwise he'd lose himself in her sensual teasing. Or worse, receive the whip once more for letting his lust control his mind.

"I'll be fine, Akeno-senpai. It's best I just get to the point and not worry you all for too long," the teenager answered as he stood.

"Yes, the important information Sona told us you had to share. Please, go ahead," Rias spoke up, lacing her hands above her lips.

Issei noticed her eyes never left his form since he walked in. She had kept a watchful eye on him throughout the short time he's been there and showed little hospitality to him as well.

Her peerage has also been doing the same despite his lack of hostility towards any of them. In fact, he hadn't said or done anything to deserve this kind of behavior.

That meant they knew something, more so than they were intending to let on. Their caution towards him was too suspicious for him not to suspect. But what did they have to be scared of. Everyone knew of how much of a goofball he was.

Issei lowered his head in deep thought. He couldn't help but think everyone was so superstitious of one another. Not even neutral partners could stand side by side without trusting if the other wouldn't stab them in the back.

It only showed how weak the ties between parties were in the supernatural world. Loki was right about that.

"Ara ara, such a serious expression on my kouhai's face," Akeno said, smirking softly.

At least one of them was relaxed near him...

"Ahem, anyways, I do have some items I'd like to address," Issei stated with a firm gaze.

Sona and Rias shared glances, the former nodding her head before the latter. They then turned to the boy and gave him a clear sign that he may begin.

Issei released a soft sigh as he clenched his fist.

 _'Are you ready Ddraig?'_ He asked inside of his head.

 _ **[As always partner.]** _ The red dragon replied.

"Alright, the first thing I want to get across is that I know what you are," he stated with closed eyes.

Everyone gained looks of shock except for Rias, Akeno, Sona, Tsubaki, and Koneko. The five of them had suspicions that he was no longer human. The white haired first year had noticed a difference in the boy's energy and the other four were quick to discover that as well. So it wasn't shocking that he knew of them as well.

What had surprised them was how direct he was with the announcement. They expected a lot of other topics to come up before he eased his way into main discussion. Instead, he was just blunt as he could be.

"That's quite the claim, Issei Hyoudou," Sona replied, adjusting her glasses.

"Yes, it is. But I want no secrets between us as I'd rather not have you breathing down my back twenty-four seven," Issei replied, folding his arms.

"That would require information of equal value. Yes we're devils but how can we trust you when we lack of who you are, exactly," Rias notified with an emotionless mask on her face. It was good in the boy's eyes but, then again, he was still fresh to the game.

"Seeing as our factions relationships are neutral, I have no problem sharing with you," Issei replied with a shrug. He then closed his eyes once more and took a short breath. "Boost."

His quiet call was more than enough as a green light appeared around his left forearm. The others in the room were momentarily blinded and they shielded their eyes from the brightness.

 _ **[Boost!]**_

The deep voice sounded throughout the room, no one missing it's powerful assertion. The group of devils wondered who said that, none of them ever hearing it before. It was strong and dominant with power behind the tone. It demanded respect and had the ability to take authority with just a few words.

The light died down and everyone could see once more. When they looked back, their eyes widened in shock at what they saw. The speculations the [Kings] had were proven correct once they saw the item the brunette possessed.

A red guantlet covered Issei's arm from his fingers to his elbow. An emerald jewel sat on the back of his hand, glowing brilliantly, with a golden symbol of a dragon inside of it.

It was a famed Sacred Gear. One that both Rias and Sona would accept into their peerage immediately.

"This is the **Boosted Gear**. But I'm sure both of you already know just from the sight of it," the brunette stated, flexing his armoured hand.

Both heirs were still stunned. A few of their surrounding peerage members were also equally astonished. None had expected such a Gear to be in possession of a person like Issei Hyoudou.

"How did you-"

"Unlock it?" Issei finished Rias' question. She nodded, still in awe at the Sacred Gear. "That's the next point I want to get to. I'm sure all of you knew of my disappearance but were too late to stop it."

This made the entire room grow silent. A sudden tension fell upon the devils as they all tried to avoid eye contact.

It made the boy sigh.

"Listen, I don't blame any of you for that. In fact..."

Issei tightened his lips before releasing a soft whistle. A green magic circle appeared by his side in response. It wasn't as bright as the appearance of his Sacred Gear and it allowed everyone to see what appeared from it. However, none had expected it to be what it was once the circle disappeared.

From the circle, a wolf appeared by the boy's side. It had black fur, stained with a red liquid that appeared to never drip off despite the constant flow. It's bright white eyes stared at the devils with no clear emotion on its face, looking as if it was staring at their souls.

 _ **"Ise, you summoned me?"** _ The wolf spoke, shocking the entire room.

"It can speak!" Sona said, flabbergasted. The usually calm and collected Sitri seemed to be just as surprised as anyone would be. At first, she thought it was merely a familiar. It seemed she was proven wrong. Most didn't talk but _it_ had.

The wolf took a look of offense at the bespectacled devil's words. _ **"I am a male and I do have a name,"** _ he replied matter-of-factly.

It still left the devils around him shell shocked. Issei sighed once more as he felt the need to explain the situation.

"This is Roark. He is a garmr and my familiar," the brunette explained as he pocketed his right hand.

The devils turned their wide eyes to the wolf, who bowed from his introduction. So, Sona was right!? But how? _**"It's a pleasure to meet you, Gremory heir, Sitri heir, and company."**_

"How does he explain anything?" Rias asked, pointing to the canine. The others too wondered what the connection of the wolf and Issei's Sacred Gear was.

"Garmrs are beasts of Norse mythology. They are bloodied wolves who guard Hel's gates. Get the picture," he asked rhetorically, folding his arms.

Issei's answer was more than enough for the devils. It was easy to deduce who the brunette was affiliated with.

"So you're apart of the Norse faction," Sona summarized.

Issei nodded his head. "That is correct. Roark was the one who kidnapped me," he added on, jerking his head at his familiar.

The devils turned to the wolf, seeing a much more offended look on his face. It shouldn't have been possible but the beast somehow pulled it off.

 _ **"Ise, you make me sound like a villain,"**_ Roark replied, sounding genuinely hurt.

"Sorry, but that is what kind of happened," the second year replied with a shrug. So cold!

 _ **"I was ordered by Lady Hel to retrieve you. I did not kidnap you,"** _ the wolf shot back.

"Well whatever, point is, Roark was the one who took me to Asgard."

"You went to Asgard? As in, the place ruled by Odin, Asgard!?" Rias asked in shock.

"Yeah, really nice place actually," Issei replied nonchalantly. It made the redhead falter as he responded so easily. He had to have been scared going to such a place. "Thor, Odin's son, trained me in physical combat which allowed me to activate the Gear. Afterwards, he and his brother Loki trained me separately to increase both my combat and magic, both with and without the **Boosted Gear**."

The group was completely silent. He was so calm about it. As if getting abducted and taken to somewhere you never knew existed was a daily occurrence.

"Issei Hyoudou, you and your familiar mentioned the one known as Hel," Sona spoke up, trying to regain control of the situation.

The brunette and wolf immediately regained their serious expressions as they turned to the Sitri. The group was cautious at how quick they switched gears.

"Yes, that is correct. Hel was the one to summon me through Roark."

"What need did you have for him?" The heiress asked the canine.

 _ **"I'm sorry, Sitri. You have it wrong. Ise was the one who required her,"** _ Roark answered with a grin.

The heiresses looked at each other, both having the same question on their mind.

"What need did Issei Hyoudou have that would require the intervention of a god from a faction he knew nothing of?" Sona asked with knitted brows.

Whatever reason Issei had, the Sitri and Gremory heir didn't think he went searching for a god of a faction outside of his own country. Something wasn't adding up. There was a piece of information missing.

 _ **"Ise was having nightmares, visions actually,"**_ Roark responded. "Those visions required my Lady's attention as they were a warning."

"A warning?" Rias repeated.

The beast nodded. _**"Yes. It turns out that Ise is involved in the foreboding Final War between all the Norse gods, Ragnarök.**_ "

This made the groups eyes widened. Issei, meanwhile, had his head lowered and the grip on his pants tighten.

Questions raced around the devils head, wondering why such a fate was bestowed upon someone like Issei. He had no affiliation with the Norwegians or Scandinavians before he went away. Nor did any of them know of such visions and nightmares that could cause such a train of events.

Why had none of them notice this about the brunette before? They had a watchful eye on him but he never showed any signs of mental distress.

"The only ones who knew of this were Matsuda and Motohama. I'm allowing you to know to show I'm not here as a threat," Issei stated, looking both Rias and Sona in the eyes.

"Why allow us to know this?" Sona asked.

"Because, if I didn't, both of you would be suspicious of me and my motives," the brunette answered back. He especially knew of the Gremory due to the first glance she gave him upon his return. "I'm telling you I have no plans to cause a ruckus. With that being said, I would like a neutral clause between us. I stay out of your way, if you stay out of mine."

The heirs glanced at one another once more. It wasn't that he was pushing them away but more like keeping them at a safe distance. While it was understandable, it left them to wonder what his plans were. Whether good or bad, they had rights to know of anything happening in their territory.

"Ano...Buchou, Kaichou..." They heard Kiba call. Both [Kings] turned to the blonde [Knight]. "Issei Hyoudou left..."

The heiresses eyes widened and they scanned the room. They had been so preoccupied with their thoughts that they didn't even notice his exit.

"We didn't even agree to his offer," Rias stated, turning back to her best friend.

"I would assume he wasn't making an offer then," Sona responded, folding her arms.

"He's a member of another faction in our territory!" Rias claimed, standing from her desk.

"Yes, but we must remember that he is a native here. No matter what faction he follows, he is still of Japanese decent," the council president stated. She opened one eye slightly, looking back at her redheaded friend. "I assume you know what that means."

The princess stood firm for a few more seconds before nodding begrudgingly. It was a hard pill to swallow but Issei had just as much right to the territory as they did.

Issei was being watched over by both the Shinto and Norse. One wrong move could have both factions at the devils necks. It would break their deal with the Shinto faction and what would be stopping the angels and fallen angels from joining in the fray as well.

The heiresses had to begrudgingly accept that they could only watch him. Any intervention in the political affairs could provoke two factions the devils don't want on their bad side.

-XOXOXOXOX-

"So Roark, has a day been finalized for Odin and Rose?"

Issei and his familiar had left the ORC while Sona and Rias mulled over the Sekiryuutei's words. He didn't wait for a response, rather enforcing his idea of neutrality. It was a move that he didn't plan to make but sort of followed on the fly.

Devils were creatures that wouldn't agree to something without gaining anything. It was their territory and Issei would still have to abide by their rules, as Odin had informed him. Requesting the neutrality would have been a push for them to ask for more. It was haggling.

However, with him telling them and leaving, it showed he would uphold the standings of their factions relationship. Meaning, if they pushed further, it would be them encroaching on his turf. And both leaders were competent enough to know that wasn't a good choice.

 _ **'Yes. Lord Odin wanted me to notify you that the time was moved forward,'** _ Roark replied telepathically.

The duo was surrounded by a decent number of humans and the last thing they wanted to do was make a scene. So the garmr reverted to using his link that he formed with Issei during their first encounter.

Roark also had made sure to disguise himself before the humans. Instead of a bloodied wolf, he was a Siberian Husky, close relatives of the wolf. With that, they drew eyes due to the exotic look but we're otherwise normal looking.

"And that date is...?"

 _ **'This coming Sunday.'**_

"What!?" The brunette blurted out. He quickly realized his mistake and looked around. A few people were looking at him and he awkwardly smiled with an embarrassed blush. "Roark, I don't have that kind of time!"

 _ **'What do you mean?'** _ The wolf asked, cocking his head to the side.

"I still have a shit ton of work left! If I don't complete it by the time Rose gets here, I'm a dead man!" Issei said with true fear.

The wolf stared at him for some time. His white eyes bore into the boy's hazels. For a moment, Issei could've sworn he saw understanding. Maybe his familiar would offer to help him.

 _ **'I'll tell Lady Hel about the loss of her warrior...'**_

"You asshole!"

-XOXOXOXOX-

The day came and gone and the next was quick to come. Roark had returned to Asgard and Issei continued to work hard on his make-up work. With his time cut short, the last thing he wanted to do was feel the wrath of the woman who "tutored' him in between his training sessions.

 _ ***Shiver***_

The brunette didn't want to relive those memories. Rose was very passionate when it came to education. But that same drive was what helped her graduate ahead of time and become a royal guard to the leader of Asgard himself. And without all that, Issei wasn't sure if he'd have met her.

So he guessed some good came out of her unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

But, getting back on track, Issei decided to miss the morning classes the next day. With him having gym and calligraphy before study hall that morning, it made things much easier in terms of doing a little more of his work.

By the time he was done, he was lucky enough to have finished a large portion of the assignments. The leaps and bounds in the work load allowed him breathing room and the ability to relax a little more.

Issei felt that his ass might be saved now. If he continued at his pace, he'd have the assignments done very soon and Rose would be off his case.

After a quick shower and a small snack, Issei made his way out the door. He slung his bag over his shoulder as he made his way down the street to the academy.

 _ **[Partner.]** _ Ddraig suddenly spoke up.

"Oh hey, you've been quiet since we left the meeting yesterday," the brunette replied jokingly.

 _ **[I have been simply observing things,]** _ the red dragon replied.

""Observing"? What do you mean?" Issei asked with an arched brow.

 _ **[The devils are no longer the only ones keeping an eye on you.]**_

Issei sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "I was warned that this would eventually happen. To many, I'm still seen as a human, albeit a little out there."

 _ **[You're the Red Dragon Emperor. Now that you've unlocked your Sacred Gear, others will come for you. And whether it's for friendship, fighting, or even your seed, they will try to take it if they have too.]**_

"Well... I wouldn't mind if they're a big breasted woman with a curvaceous-"

 _ ***Whip***_

Issei stiffened as the memories of punishment resurfaced. Now was not the time. Especially since his partner noticed the change in his mood.

 _ **[It's good to see Frigg has a tight leash on you.]**_

"Zip it lizard!" The boy shouted back.

[Hey, not my fault that you use to think about nothing but breast before you went to Asgard.]

"So what? I'm a healthy teenage boy. It's only natural that I think of oppai," Issei snapped back.

 _ **[On occasions, yes. But yours is on a totally different level,]** _ Ddraig replied dryly.

"Whatever. Because of Obaa-sama all I can think of is that stupid whip!" The boy complained with comical tears streaming down his face.

 _ **[That'll be better for you. You can focus more on training,]** _ the red dragon replied.

"I don't have to train all the time..." Issei muttered, stuffing his hand in his pocket.

 _ **[Normally, no. But you're too far behind the White One to be relaxing. In fact, I'm sure Thor or Loki will be calling you back to resume your training very soon.]**_

"Well, I don't look forward to Thor. He's a little rough with the lessons. Loki, however, is a great teacher. He's just misunderstood is all," Issei stated with a weak smile and shrug.

 _ **[He's weird. I have nothing more to say about him.]**_

This made Issei frown. "See, that's why he's misunderstood. He's left in the shadows of Odin and Thor and seen as different. He likes magic more so than his sibling and father. At least try to understand him Ddraig."

 _ **[I can't make any promises.]**_

"You don't have a choice. I'll sit you two down in a room until you try to talk to him," the brunette threatened.

Ddraig snorted in response. _**[Do you really think you can threaten me? An all powerful Heavenly dragon feared by the gods themselves!?]**_

"Dude, you're a armoured glove that covers my spanking hand... I'm pretty sure I can threaten you without repercussions," Issei stated with a deadpanned expression.

Ddraig immediately stopped talking afterwards. The emperor knew he won and smirked triumphantly. "Hatchling" one, old dragon zero.

"Ano..." A feminine voice called out.

Issei didn't expect it and stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned around to see someone he wasn't expecting.

It was a young girl, about his age. She had long flowing raven her with violet eyes. She was very cute in the boy's eyes and he couldn't help but notice the shy look on her face, making her even cuter.

The girl was dressed in a school uniform that Issei couldn't pin point. It wasn't his, nor any of the high schools within the area. Not even the "P" embroidered on her jacket gave him a clue.

"Yes, can I help you?" He asked, turning fully to face her. She blushed lightly and began to fidget. Issei thought she looked really cute.

"Y-You're Issei Hyoudou, aren't you?" She asked, facing him with the cutest of looks.

"Y...Yeah, I am," he responded.

The girls face brightened up as she smiled. "Ah, I knew it was you! I've been wanting to meet you for quite some time!" She exclaimed excitedly. It made the boy blink in confusion.

"Really? I'm nothing special," he replied, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Yes you are! Once I heard of you, I just had to meet you personally!" The ravenette snapped back passionately. Issei had to look at her again to see if she was serious. And, to his surprise, saw that she was.

"Well, I'm flattered, but what could you want with an idiot like me?" He asked light-hearted.

The girl blushed heavily and her eyes casted to the ground. It confused the brunette and he stared at her for what felt like an eternity. He thought that he pressured her too much with the question and wondered if he should apologize for being rude.

But, just before he could decide, she shot up to face him. It surprised him and he almost jumped at how fast she had reacted.

"I... I want you to be my boyfriend!"

...

...

...

...

"Eh?"

 **And this chapters finally done. As usual, leave your reviews and I'll work to the next chapter as soon as I can.**

 **I really do feel I'm building this story well and hope you guys can agree with me. I'll catch you all later.**

 _ **-stormgreywolf**_


End file.
